Faridkot royal row: another kin stakes claim

Giving a new twist to the Faridkot royal inheritance case, the son of the Maharaja's younger brother has moved the court challenging the order by which the court had made the Maharaja's daughters legal heirs to the Rs 20,000-crore property of Maharaja Sir Harinder Singh Brar.

Giving a new twist to the Faridkot royal inheritance case, the son of the Maharaja's younger brother has moved the court challenging the order by which the court had made the Maharaja's daughters legal heirs to the Rs 20,000-crore property of Maharaja Sir Harinder Singh Brar.

"The law of primogeniture (the right of the firstborn son to inherit the family estate) applies to royal families, thus the daughters cannot be made legal heirs. We have challenged the order dated July 25, as the court had failed to consider the law of primogeniture," said Amaninder Singh Brar, grandson of Kanwar Manjitinder Singh, younger brother of the Maharaja. He filed the appeal on Tuesday on behalf of his father.

On July 25, chief judicial magistrate (CJM) Rajnish Kumar Sharma had nullified the will authorising the Maharwal Khewaji Trust as the caretaker of the Maharaja's property, paving the way for the latter's daughters Amrit Kaur and Deepinder Kaur to inherit the property.

"As per the law of primogeniture, applicable to princely families, the eldest surviving male inherits the property. My grandfather was the eldest surviving male member when Sir Harinder Singh died in 1989, thus, my grandfather Kanwar Manjitinder Singh who passed away in 1999 was to inherit the property," said Amaninder.

He said, "With the court declaring the will as forged, as per the law, we are entitled to inherit the assets and property. After death of my grandfather, my father, Bharatinder Singh Brar, is representing him."

The local court had dismissed the petition of Amaninder's family while passing the order on the will. Dismissing the claim, the court had observed, "The properties of Raja Harinder Singh were his self-acquired. Therefore, the rule of primogeniture is not applicable and Kanwar Manjitinder Singh had no right to seek any claim over the properties."

The appeal is to come up for hearing on August 30 before the court of additional district and sessions judge RK Yadav. The trust has already filed an appeal challenging the order declaring the will as forged.